Pilot control valve for gas heaters



Aug. 29,

F. R. MARO NEK PILOT CONTROL VALVE FOR GAS HEATERS Filed Jan. 28, 1941 2 5 25:5 tiii 1 #E M 'IIIMII M 4 4 Frank RMaronek INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

scription of a Patented Au 29, 1944 PILo'r CONTROL VALVE FOR. GAS HEATERS Frank R. Maronek, Whitefish Bay, Wis., assignor to A. 0. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of New York Application January 28, 1941, Serial No. 376,345

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a pilot control valve for gas heaters.

It has been applied to the control of gas burners used in domestic water heating units and provides a one hundred per cent safety shut oil in the event that the pilot flame becomes extinguished.

The object of the invention is to provide a pilgt control ofthis kind with a snap valve ac on.

Another object is to provide a simple and more certain control which can be operated manually for starting the pilot and will automatically maintain the main gas supply to the burner and pilotonly when the pilot thermostat is subjected to heat.

Other objects will be apparent from the depreferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing. 4

In the drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, ing the invention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the valve chamber and parts of the control, .taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

The valve comprises an outer casing I having a cylindrical valve chamber therein closed at the end by the threaded cap 2.

The main valve valve chamber and has a skirt 4 seated against the end wall 5 of the chamber. A disk valve 6 seats upon a circumferential rim 1 of the body 3 to close the valve and stop the flow of gas through the same. To the left of disk 6,, Fig. 2, is .the gas supply section 8 of the valve chamber which receives gas from the supply line 9, shown in Fig. 1. To the right of valve disk 5, Fig. 2, is the chamber it: in the valve body a which connects with an outlet port it in the outer'casing i leading to the main control valve and burner (not shown).

In cap 2is a pilot valve body I2 threaded in place against a flexible sealing disk It in the cap. A valve disk ill seats on a circular rim is on the valve body 52 to stop the flow oi gasfrom-the gas supply section a to the pilot is. The valve body 52 has ports ll leading from the valve'disk M to a small chamber it between it and disk l3, and passage in leads from-chamber ls through llxdy i2, cap 2 and easing I to the pilot burner body 3 is threaded into the of a gas control unit embodyfrom its seat l5. This is accomplished manually by means of a push button 22 extending through cap 2 and adapted to be pushed by hand to press disk is against the projection 20.

The manual unseating of valve disk I4 is for thepurpose of supplying gas to thepilot during lighting. After lighting the pilot flame heats a thermostat 23 which then operates to automatically maintain the valve disk l4 unseated, as later described, and thereby allows release oi. button 22.

The thermostat 23 is preferably oi. standard construction and has a central rod 24 disposed axially of the valves and supporting a plunger.

25 on its end within the casing I. The plunger engages a disk 28' which is so mounted within the skirt 4 as to amplify the movement of rod 24. When heated from the pilot flame the rod 24 ex ands inlength and moves the plunger 25 against the disk 26 which amplifies said movement and quickly moves disk 6 oil from its seat 5, thereby supplying gas from chamber 8 to chamber In leading to the main burner through port ll. mounted for axial movement inv a central bearing in body 3.

The valve disks 6 and it are held normally seated by a coil spring 28 which biases the disks in opposite directions. The coil spring 28 is centered with respect to the disk 6 by a central projection 29 on the disk, and with respect to the disk I4 by a flanged head 30 in which the spring seats and which has an axial shank threaded into disk l4 for adjustment.

For the purpose of retaining the pilot valve open when the main valve is opened by thermostat 23, the invention provides a spring 3i in the form of a wire. ribbon, or perforated disk-like member which has its central part bearing against head 3t and its outer ends or. edge loosely bearing on the sloping side of the valve disk 6. The spring ii is bent at approximately right angles to form a U .or cup shape with a substantially flat web supported near its outer periphery against the inner. edge of the valve body l2. When disk 8 moves on from its seat it presses the ends of spring 3!! outwardly and by lever action ofthe spring with the inner edge of body l2 as a fulcrum; it draws head 3010- The valve disk M has a central projection 28:.

ward the right against thecoil spring 28, and holds valve disk I ofi from its seat.

Should the pilot I flame become extinguished,

' the rod 24 shortens allowing disk 8 to become seated and spring 3i to snap back into normal position which causes seating of the pilot valve The disk '8 is supported upon a stud 21' vsaid chamber for supplying end of said valves independently of to said outlet ports, means p y gas to said outlet ports,

normally closed 5.. In a valve control for ga ing providing'a' valve chamber,

- disk 14 by the pressureoi coil spring 28. The

claims. 1

The inventionis claimed as follows:

of the invention .may be, employed within the scope of the accompanying 1. In a control for gas burners, a housing providing a valve chamber, an inlet port for gas into the central portion of said chamber, an outlet port at one end of thechamber for supplying gas to a burner, an outlet port .at the opposite end of gas to burner, a separate normally closed valve at each the chamber and interposed between the central portion of said chamber and the respective end outlet port, means for opening one'of the other, and additional means for holding said independently operable valve open when the other valve is opened. 4 2., In a control for gas burners, a housing providing a valve chamber, an inlet port for gas into the central portion of said chamber, an outlet port at one end of the chamber for supplying gas to a burner, an outlet port said chamber for'supplying gas to another burner, a separate normally closed valve at each end of the chamber and interposed between the central portion of said chamber and the respective end'outlet pont, means foropcning one of said valves independently 7 means for holding said independently operable at the opposite end of another of the other, additionalvalve open when the other .valve is opened, and

means responsive to the heat of the burner supplied by said independently operable valve to open the valve supplying gas to the other burner,

3. In a valve control for gas burners, a housingproviding a valve chamber, an inlet port for supp ying gas to the central portion of said chamber,

a separate valve body disposed in each endof the chamber and providing connections to separate outlet ports, valve members disposed to seat on the respective valve bodies to shut off the supply of as from the central portion of the chamber for biasing said valve te directions to hold them in members in opposi normally closed position, and thermostati means end of the housing for extending through one opening the respective valves against the pressure of said biasing means.

4. In a valve control for providing a valve chamber, an

gas burners; a housing inlet port for supthe respective valve, bodies to shut off the supply of gas from the central portion of the chamber to means members in opposite-directions to hold them in position, means extending through the opposite ends of the housing for opening the respective valves against the presis initially opened, a; pair 01 valve members nor-.

said manually opened valve .open when posed in that end of the housing to supply gas to I one of the burners for lighting, thermostatic means responsive to heat from said lighted burner and extending through the opposite end of said housing for opening the other valve to supply gas to a second burner, and means disposed between said valv members for holding said other valve is opened by said thermostatic means.

6. In a control or the class described,,a housing providing a cylindrlcally shaped valve chamber, an inlet port for supplying gas to the central portion of said chamber, an outlet port at one end .of said chamber for supplying gas to, a burner, an outlet port at the opposite end of the chamber for continuously supplying gas therethrough to another burner after said first named outlet port is initially opened, apair of valve members normally biased away from each other and towards the opposite ends of the chamber for closing said separate outlet ports at the respective ends, and a reverse action spring member disposed between said valve members and having a fixed fulcrum to effect the. holding of one valve open while the other valve is open.

7. In a control of the class described, a housing providing a cylindrically shaped valve chamber, an inlet port for supplying gas to the central portion of said chamber,; an outlet port at one end of the chamber for supplying ga to a burner, an

outlet port at the opposite end of the chamber for continuously supplying gas therethrough to another burner after said first named outlet port mally biased away'from each other and towards the opposite ends of the chamber for closing said separate outlet ports at the respective ends, manual means for opening one of said valves independently of the other, and a reverse action spring member disposed between said valve members and having a fixed fulcrum to effect the holding ofsaid manually operable valve open while the other valve is open.

' 8. In a control of the class described, a housing providing a cylindrically shaped valve chamber,

the central portion of said chamber, v

for biasing said valve sure of said biasing means, and means disposed between said valve members for holding one valve en the other valve is open. open wh burners, a housaninlet port for id chamu 1 ing gas to the central portion .of sa 1 36 3; separate valve body disposed in each end an'inlet port for supplying gas to the central portion of said chamber, an outlet port for gas to the main heating burner, an outlet port for a continuous supply of gas .therethrough to a pilot burner after said main burner is initially opened, a pair of valve members normally biased away from each other and towards the opposite ends of the chamber for closing said outlet ports, manual means for opening one of said valves independently of the other, a. reverse action spring member disposed between said valve members and havin a fixedfulcrum to effect the holding of said manually operable valve open while the other I valve is open, and thermostaticmeans for opening saidother valvedn accordance with conditions to be controlled.

9. In a control of the class described, a housing providing a chamber, an inlet port to provide gas to said chamber, arr-outlet port to supply gas to a main burner, a valve' in said chamber disposed to open and close said outlet-port, an outlet passage insaid chamber to supply gas to a pilot burner, a second valve in said chamber to open and close said outlet passage, manual means to said manually operable valve open after said manual means is released, to thereby provide a continuous supply of gas to the pilot burner by the same outlet passage through which ga was supplied by the said manual operation of the secand named valve.

FRANK R. MARONEK. 

